Stay younger as you age-exercise regularly

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, America did a study on competitive runners, swimmers and cyclists aged between 40 and 81 to see if exercise can preserve lean muscle mass. All the subjects featured were fit, training 4 to 5 times per week and competing regularly. Researchers measured their muscle mass, leg strength and body composition, determining how much muscle tissue was composed of fat. Past studies have shown that as we age not only do we lose muscle mass but the muscle that remains contains fat which degrades the quality and reduces strength. However there was little evidence of this with the subjects involved with this study. Those at the higher end of the age group, the 70s and 80s had almost the same thigh muscle mass as those in their 40s with minor if any fat increase! They also remained strong. There was however a drop off in leg strength around age 60 in both men and women subjects. They weren't as strong as those in the 50s age group but the difference wasn't great and further decline was minimum. The 70 and 80 year olds were about as strong as the 60 age group. Dr Vonda Wright, an orthopedic surgeon who oversaw the study said, "These results suggest strongly that people don't lose muscle mass and function as they grow older. The changes that we've assumed were due to aging and therefore were unstoppable seem actually to be caused by inactivity and that can be changed."

Sorry-there's no short cut to losing weight

Despite all the adverts out there in the media, you know the ones, 'eat as much as you like and take this pill twice per day and still lose weight!' Or 'I lost pounds on this new fad diet where all I eat is any foods which are green or blue or whatever....' there is no magic formula to get you to lose weight or get fitter. It's human nature to want to find a short cut and in this age where everything is instant we believe that science must have come up with something by now to avoid having to eat healthy and exercise on a regular basis. However the truth is there are no quick fire solutions. The fad diets will make you lose weight short term but due to their extreme nature can only be done for a short period of time and most of the weight you lose is muscle rather than fat anyway. As soon as you go back to eating normally again the chances are that you will put the weight back on and extra and you will resort to dieting again, hence the phase yo-yo dieting. Your metabolism (speed in which your body burns energy)would have lowered so the body will find it harder to burn calories daily and store as fat instead. The makers of fad diets and pill peddlers are making a fortune on the misplaced hopes and dreams of people looking for a quick fix. It sounds boring and very basic but the only long term and safest way to lose weight is to eat healthily most of the time, drink plenty of water and to exercise regularly (at least 2.5 hours a week minimum). So until there is a real magic pill that can burn fat without eating healthily and exercising the best way is still exercise regularly and eat healthy balanced meals.

Body Combat

Had an audition at Virgin Active in Romford last Wednesday for cover and I am pleased to announce that they liked me and I will now be placed on their cover list, with the likely hood of getting some permanent hours in the new year. Body Combat is a martial arts based fitness class which includes moves from different disciplines such as kickboxing, karate and MMA, set to music. I have my first cover session on Thursday 25th Oct at 9.30am. Why don't you come over and have a great workout with me.

Lose the Weight and Boost your Testosterone

According to a study of nearly 900 over weight, middle aged men with boarderline diabetes, weight loss can reduce the prevalence of low testosterone levels by almost 50%. Because overweight men are more likely to have low levels of testoserone, researchers studied the effects of weight loss on the subjects testosterone levels. The study showed that with lifestyle changes, the prevalence of low testosterone levels decreased from about 20% to 11% and after one year to 46% The men in the lifestyle modification group lost an average of 7.8 KG during the one-year study. The increase in their testosterone levels correlated with their decreasing body weight and waistlines.

Food Myths Part 3 - The Final Chapter

1.) Eating small meals are better than three meals a day- According to a 2011 U.S. study, overweight volunteers felt more statisfied and less hungry when they ate three times a day rather than eating six. Another study found that those who ate between meals were 69% more likely to gain weight after five years. The trouble is the more chances you have to eat the more chances you have to over-indulge. Grazing only works if you choose nutritious foods and watch portion sizes. 2.) Exercising makes you eat more- It's natural to get hungry after a work out due to your energy stores being used up. Weight loss or gain depends solely on the amount of energy used versus total calories taken in. You'll only put on body fat if you eat too many calories than your body needs. If you stick to eating three main meals a day with two healthy snacks you can spread the total intake of calories over the whole day. This way you can have a snack after a work out to restore your carbohydrate levels but not adding any additional calories to your daily intake. 3.) Food cravings is your body's way of asking for certain nutritients- There's no known evidence of this. A study carried out found that people tend to crave the foods that they attempt to resist the most, whether that is chocolate or biscuits etc. A healthy balanced diet with a little of what you fancy will help reduce the risk of a pigout!!!!

Food Myths Part 2

Low fat and fat free foods are always a healthy choice:- Although when consuming milk it's best to go for the low fat choice beware of other foods with these labels. Always check the food label on these items, because just because it says its fat free or low fat it may be loaded with sugar or refined starch which could lead to weight gain. Also check if the amount of fat, carbs and calories is for the whole of the item or just a part of it, e.g. a tin may say 250 calories per 100g but the tin could be 400g. So you could be thinking that you're consuming 250 calories but it would be 1000! Raw food diets are better for you:- While cooking can destroy some nutrients such as vitamin C and some B vitamins in fruit and vegetables there is no evidence to suggest that a raw-food diet is better for you. Some studies have shown that some nutrients are more easily aborbed by the body after cooking, such as lycopene and beta-carotene. By all means enjoy some raw food in your diet but you don't have to make it the rule. Breakfast bars are always a healthy option:- Although there are some cereal bars on the market which are healthier as they contain oats, fruit, and whole grains which can keep you fuller for longer, releasing energy slowly, however a word of caution, not all of these bars are a healthy choice as they can be loaded with fats and sugars. A Tracker bar for instance contains hydrogenerated fat, which is worse than saturated fat! so always check the food label to be sure.

Food Myths Part 1

Here are a few nutritional truths regarding some of those misleading myths that get passed around:- 1.) Low Carbohydrate diets are the best way to lose weight- The trouble with restricting your carb intake is that you may lack the energy to do an effective work out due to the fact that the main source of energy for the body is from carbs and the body needs a regular supply to fuel muscles and replenish glycogen stores. The only safe way to lose weight is to take in fewer calories than you burn, regardless of the percentage of carbs you're eating. Think of it this way-would you expect your car to go if you didn't give it any fuel-of course not, so why think your body can? 2.) Eating late causes weight gain- There is little evidence to suggest that your metabolism is slower in the evening. It's the total daily calorie intake not when you eat it that matters. As long as you do not take in more calories than you burn, you will not gain weight. If you exercise in the evening you must eat something afterwards to replenish energy stores and promote recovery. Just ensure you stick to sensible portion sizes. 3.) Eggs causes high cholesterol- Many studies over the past 20 years have proved there's no evidence to link cholesterol in food with high blood cholesterol for most people. Rather it's a diet high in saturated fats, lack of exercise and being overweight that causes high blood cholesterol. Eating up to two eggs a day has been shown to aid weight control as it causes a feeling of fullness so you eat less calories throughout the day. I hope you find this useful and I will be posting another 3 food myths next week.